Illinois man sues steakhouse after raw oysters allegedly caused brain injury

A lawsuit filed on behalf of Joseph Belgio, 44, says raw oysters served at Gibsons Bar and Steakhouse in Oak Brook left the retired Cicero firefighter and Marine veteran hospitalized with catastrophic brain injuries. The suit says the oysters exposed Belgio to multiple foodborne pathogens, triggering cardiac arrest and a months-long coma.

Karen Arenas announced the suit. The filing targets Gibsons Steakhouse in Oak Brook and says Belgio’s illness began after he was served the raw oysters at the restaurant.

Belgio suffers from “severe cognitive deficits” and will need “lifelong, around-the-clock care,” his lawyer said. He remained hospitalized more than a year after the complications began.

Raw oysters can cause serious illness, especially from Vibrio vulnificus, which can cause severe illness or death from raw oysters or clams. Millions of Americans eat raw molluscan shellfish each year. In 2025, the CDC linked raw oysters to an ongoing Salmonella outbreak that led to at least 64 illnesses across 22 states and at least 20 hospitalizations.

Restaurant Business Online put Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse in Oak Brook at 2025 annual sales of $25,407,371.